Cab-axle bearing-  eob- trucks



March 5, 1929. L, w. MELCH'ER y i 1,704,052

CAR AXLE BEARING FOR TRIAJCKS Filed Feb. '7, 1927 2 eens-sheet 1 March 5, 1929, v L, w, MELCHER 3,7452

CAR XLE BEARING FOR TRUCKS Filed Feb. '7, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. N, 1929.

UNITED sr rara Umidit@ anni@ Application led February t?, 1927. Serial No. 165,300.

The invention relates to car axle bearings for trucks. Y Y 011e object of the invention is to provide a structure which permits proper self-align 5 ment of a roller type of bearing. Another object of the invention is to provide an improved pedestal, which is adapted to retain a roller-bearing in theframe, of a construction which permits it to be readily substituted f for pedestals or journalboxes nonT in use for `plain bearings without substantial s change in the truck-frame.V Other objects will appear from the specification. l

The invention consists in the severaly novel l5 lfeatures hereinafter set forth and more lparticularly definedby claims at the conclusion hereof. g In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section ofa bearing structure, the axle being shown in elevation. Fig. 2is a section taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig.. 3 is a perspective ofthe improved pedestal. Fig. 4c. is a side elevation. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of the yoke', the box being shown `in 4elevation. Fig. 6 is a detail yofone end of the y brace for the lower vend of the pedestal.

The invention is exemplified with' a truck of .the arch-,bar type comprising an arched bar a, an inverted arched bar a', a pedestal brace or tie-bar a2 and afpedestal B secured between the .arch-bars and said tiedoar.: A journalboxor casing 4 is confined inthe pedestal and an laxle -5 extends' through an opening 6 in @one end of the box and terminates in a trans- 35' verse face within'and'near the other end of the box.y Anouterrace or bushing 8 is -Apressedand fxedly held in 'thebox and an Vvinner racepor bushing 9 is shrunk or otherwise fixedly held on the axle. A locking .ring 26 for` the bushing 9 may be securedin a-peripheralgroove 26,a inthe axle. rlwo annular series of bea-ring rollers 10, suitably spaced in cages 10a, are confined between the races 'and constitute a roller bearing for sup- 'porting the box from the axle. The outer end .Y A circular thrustblock 15, usually of brass,

vis secured by abolt 15a inarecess 16 formed in the inner face of the cap 13, and is normally spaced slightly away from the end-face 7 of the axle.4 This block carries alverti'cally 155 extending wick-and has its inner face formed the race 8 is secured.

with an opening 18 to expose a portion of the wick to contact with and apply lubricant only to the central portion of the end-face of the axle, so that oil may travel-outwardly and away from the wick under the influence of centrifugal force. rFhe lower end of the wick extends into an oil well 11 formed in the lower portion of the box to continuously supply oil by capillary attraction to the end-face of the axle. Above and below its exposed portion in the o ening 18, the wick is contained in outward y inclined upper and lower openings 20 and 21 in the block 15. A pin 22,

.carried-by said block, extends into the wick to hold it against displacement. An annular ywall 2li, integrally formed with the cap 13, extends longitudinally inward therefrom to meet the outer face of the race 8 adjacent the vouter ends of the rollers to catch oil thrown Aoutwardly from the axle by centrifugal force, and to conduct it to the space in which the rollers travel, the lower portion of this wall being sloped downwardly and inwardly for that purpose, as at 29. An annular groove 25 is formed in the axle adjacent the end face 7 -to interrupt the movement of the oil inwardly from the outer end of the axle, and so that it will be projected by centrifugal force against the wall 24C for conduction to the roller bearings. The wick 17 extends through an opening 29 in the lower portion of wall 24 into lthe outer end of the oil well 11. The outer periphery of the wall 24 is formed to fit in the wall of the box 4, in which The usual oil and dust seal 30 is provided at the inner end of the box and adjacent the opening 6. The cap 131is provided with a filler plug 32. ln operation, the oil will be applied by the wick 17 to the central' portion of the end-face of the axle. Inrotation, the axle will cause the oil to be thrown outwardly by centrifugal force against the annular wall 24 which will conduct it to the roller bearings. After working through the latter, it will pass'back into the inner end of the well 11 for re-circulation.

In practice, it is important that the journal boxes 'should be sustained to permit them to be self-aligning Vwith respect to the axle, particularly when a roller bearing is used between the axle and the box, and by supporting the boxso it is free to rock universally about a-point located Substantially at the longitudinal center of the roller bearing, the box will be retained So it may align itself with the stresses.

axle under all conditions, without subjecting the roller bearing to any objectionable The pedestal B comprises a top wall o which is provided with holes b2 for bolts 223 which secure it to the lapped portions oit the arch-bars a, e', and legs b4', b5, between which the box l is confined. To permit the box to tilt vertically, substantially coincident with the oit the axleand the longitudinal centeroi the roller bearing, the top wall ot the box, lwhere it bears against the wall b or' the pedestal, is curved longitudinally, as at 4, and lugs ad, which project from the sides et' the box to confine it longitudinally in the cedestal, are formed with curved surfaces le, and to permit pivotal horizontal movement about said point, the inner faces of the legs b4, o5 oli the pedestal are curved,

at at 6G. As a result ot this construction, the

box will be confined in the pedestal so it may pivot universally about a point coincident with the axis and longitudinal center of the roller bearing.

ln practice, it is desirable to provide. a construction 'ot roller bearing which may be substituted for the plain bearings now in use, and is applicable to standard truck trames, in which the pedestals are usually secured by bolts extendingl continuously through the arch bars and the tie bar. For this purpose, the holes b2 tor the bolts b3 are disposed to register with the holes placed according to standard practice, in the `arch-bars, and in lieu et using continuous bolts, the short bolts are used to secure the top plate l2 ot the pedestal to the arch bars. In boxes for roller bearings, the through bolts, according` to standard practice, are not spaced apart suiiciently to permit boxes containing roller bearings to be placed in the pedestal. To malte it possible to conveniently apply such boxes to standard truclr trames, legs b4 and 7) are spread apart sutlieiently to receive the box 'for containing a roller bearing, and the lower ends ot the legs are each provided with a cross wall @s formed with two holes b for short bolts b1 which passthrough said wall and holes 511 which are drilled inthe tie-bar. As a result, the only change necessary in the truck i''rame is the drilling of the holes b to register with holes lf in the pedestal legs. Each pedestal comprises a cross-wall and side tlanges. rlhecross-walls are each provided with openings 612 to permit a bolt b3 to be inserted into the holes in the arch-bars.

The invention thus exemplifies a car axle bearing ot the roller type with a box which is universally and pivotalljvY movable around a point substantially or approximately coincident with the axis and the longitudinal center ot the bearing, which will relieve the 'bearings of destructive or objectionable stresses, and the self-alignment ot the box axle with the axle. The invention also exemplifies a pedestal which is adapted to be substituted for the standard pedestal or journal box and to retain a box containing a roller bearing. i

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set Vforth, since these may be modified within the scope oi the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what l claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is: i 1

1. The combination with a car-truck frame comprising a pedestal, of a boxin the pedestal, an axle extending into Vone end ot the box, a roller-bearing between the axle and the box, curved surfaces between the pedestal and the box which permit the box to rock vertically and laterally about a point approximately coincident with the axis and longitudinal center ofthe bearing. Y

2. The combination with a. car-truck frame comprising a pedestal, ot' al box in the pedestal, an axle extending into one end of the box, a rollerbearing between ythe axle and the box, retaining lugsprojectiugfrom the' sides of the box to engagethe legs-of the pedestal having vertically curved surfaces toengage the pedestal and permit the box to rock vertically, and horizontally curved surfaces on the legs of said pedestal to permit the box U to rock laterally about a. point approximately coincident with the axis and longitudinal center of the bearing. Y

3. In a car-truck, the combination of aframe comprising a pedestal tie-bar; a pedestal comprising a top having holes to register with bolt holes located according to standard practice, and legs spaced apart agreater distance than standard practice; each leg having side flanges, a cross-wall and a bottom provided withv bolt holes, bolts passing through the holes in the pedestal-top and the frame, and separate bolts extending through the holes in the pedestal legs'and the tie-bar, a

journal-box confined between thev legs of the pedestal, an axle extending into'the box and a roller bearing between the axle and the box.

4. A pedestal for a car-truck frame comprising atop and legs, the top being provided with holes to register with bolt-holes located in a frame according to standard practice, the legs being separated sufliciently 4to receive a box with a roller-bearing therein, having at their lower ends portions with bolt-holes spaced apart a greater distance than standard practice, so they may be secured to a tie-bar by separate bolts.`

5. A pedestal for a car-truck Yframe comprising a top and legs, the top being provided with holes to register with bolt holes located in a frame according to standard practice, the legs being separated suliiciently to receive a box with a roller-bearing therein, having a their lower ends portions with bolt-holes spaced apart a greater distance than standard Cil practicepso they may be secured to a tie-bar by separate bolts, each leg comprising side i flanges and a cross-web.

6. A pedestal for a car-truck traine coniprising atop and legs, the top being piovided ywith holes to register with bolt holes located in a frame according to standard practice, the

legs being separated suliiciently to receive a box with a roller bearing therein, having at their lower ends portions having holes spaced Y apart a greater distance than the standard practice, so they may be secured to a tie-bar by separate bolts, each leg comprising sideflanges, and a cross-web having slots tnerein vfor the top bolts.

' 7 A pedestal for a car-truckrfraine coni- Y y' prising a top and legs, the top being provided with holes to registerrwith bolt holes located in a frame according to standard practice, the legs beingseparated sufficiently/to receive a box with a-roller bea-ring therein, having at flanges, a cross-web and a cross-Wall forming the portions in which the holes for the tie-bar v bolts are formed.

8. In a car truck, the combination of a frame comprising a tie-bar, a pedestal connected to said bar and comprising a top and legs at the ends oi the top, a journal box confined between the legs of the pedestal, an axle extending into one end of thejbox, a roller bearing between the axle and said box, and retaining means for said box'comprising coacting surfaces on the top of the pedestal and the box which permit said box to rock vertically.

9. In a car truck, the combination of a frame comprising a pedestal, said pedestal having vertically extending legs at the ends thereof, a box confined in the pedestal between said legs, an axleV extending into one end of the box, a roller bearing between the axle` and the box, and horizontally curved surfaces on the legs of the pedestal to permit the box to rock laterally.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 3rd day of January, 1927.

LEE W. MELCHER. 

